[February 4, 1999, Delhi]

[22:36]     This evening, Pradeep took me to meet Poonam Singh, a charming and vivacious middle-aged woman with strong media connections.  Her apartment is high-ceilinged and well appointed, with exquisite Oriental furniture.  She paid me keen attention, as if checking me out for a certain role in her plan, whatever it is.  She asked me mostly about what I’ve done in the past and what I plan to do in the future, including the Save the Tiger Walk in the immediate future, which now has become renamed by Pradeep as “Love-the-Tiger Walk”, since it will happen on St. Valentine’s Day.  All I could tell was that she found what I was saying favorable.  When we were leaving, she said, “See you tomorrow.”  Tomorrow?  Pradeep didn’t tell me anything about tomorrow, and I didn’t ask him.  Asking Pradeep questions sometimes risks the don’t-speak-unless-spoken-to response.  With him I’ve learned to just let things happen, think on my feet and react to them on the spot to the best of my ability.  So far, so good.